Most of us know Jonahas the story about a big fish...or as some say, "A whale of a tale."

But what has me fascinated today,is not how a man lived in a fish three days.But rather, how God used a maneven in his lowest and worst momentsto accomplish great things.

And how He can do the same for us!

For Jonah was a prophet,called by God, to go to work...work which he already knew could be hard,but still called to goto a place where he despised the people.

In fact, the city of Nineveh,​where God was sending him, was described as a great city.Not because God saw it as great.But because it was great in power,great in population,great in wealth,great in power, and great in wickedness and sin.

And it was to Jonaha place that oppressedand fought against his people.

So Jonah arose and...followed his feelings, insteadof his calling.

And most of us know the storyof him getting swallowed by the fishand getting spit outto get a second chance.

But I want to wiggle in before the fish.I want to look at the timewhen he was on the ship.That's truly what interests me most.

Because he set sail for a long journeywith a bunch of pagan sailors.But they don't worship his God,And he didn't seem to be bothered by that like he was the people of Nineveh.

I mean, he payed his fare, climbed aboard,went down into the ship and slept.And boy, was he was a sound sleeper.Probably because he'd been up nightsworried about this calling from God.

But now finally, he'd gotten away...out of the presence of God.Like we can really run from that!

But then this wind that kicked up,this storm... well a tempest, actually,was so bad, that the ship was just about broken.

Then the mariners were afraid;and every man cried out to his god,and threw the cargo that was in the shipinto the sea, to lighten the load.Jonah 1:5 NKJV

These guys were praying.All of them!And throwing stuff overboard to lighten the load...not just to lighten the weight of the ship,but to lighten the load on their mind,the load on their emotions,the load their on conscience.

These mariners worshiped pagan gods.Typically they believed in cursesand punishments for sins against their gods.But none of their efforts,none of their prayers,none of their gods were stopping this storm.

How ironic was it that they needed togo wake up the only passengerwho probably did the most prayingin his everyday life, but right nowwas sleeping through the catastrophe.

So the captain came to him, and said to him,“What do you mean, sleeper?Arise, call on your God;perhaps your God will consider us,so that we may not perish.”Jonah 1:6

C'mon Dude!Be considerate... Arise.God had one more arising call for Jonah.

So the sailors up top now resortedto casting lots. A gamble as it wereto find out who was to blame for the storm.And it pointed to Jonah.

Can you imagine the guilt and shamehe's feeling by now?​So he confessed,His faith, his mission, his running away.Then the men were exceedingly afraid,and said to him,“Why have you done this?”For the men knew that he fledfrom the presence of the Lord,because he had told them. Then they said to him,“What shall we do to youthat the sea may be calm for us?”for the sea was growing more tempestuous.Jonah 1:10-11

These men had gonefrom afraid, to exceedingly afraid!Increasing as did the storm.

And here is where I always believedthey just threw him off.​Like...since he was the problem.they should get rid of it.

But they actually tried to continue on.Brave, noble, good-hearted sailors in the storm.

It was Jonah's idea.And he said to them,“Pick me up and throw me into the sea;then the sea will become calm for you.For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”Jonah 1:12

Jonah, offered himself as a sacrificefor these men... these pagan men.

And then...they prayed for forgiveness.Therefore they cried outto the Lord and said,“We pray, O Lord, please do not letus perish for this man’s life,and do not charge us with innocent blood;for You, O Lord, have doneas it pleased You.” So they picked up Jonahand threw him into the sea,and the sea ceased from its raging.Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly,and offered a sacrifice to the Lordand took vows.Jonah 1:14-16

Do you see it?A foreshadowing of the salvationjust as Jesus offered?

The sacrificial giving of life,asking forgiveness,the raging storms of life calmed,fear of the Lord,these vows... now salvation.

And Jonah, swallowed...by a fish God prepared ahead for him,safe, entombed in the water three days.

This man Jonah, first running away,disobedient, angry, fearful.But God still used him to save the livesof these sailors on the journeyas he turned Jonah around...physically, emotionally, spiritually.

I have come to realize...that we don't live in this bubbleof selfishness, where our problemsare just for the sake of changing us.

Often times, God needs us to shareour problems, our tragedies, our life lessonswith others so they too can see God in them.

We need to be more transparent in lifeso that people can transition from fearto exceedingly great faithin a God who delivers us from the storm.Even if it meansadmitting that we are on the run from Him.

Word of God,train me, today...to live my life in front of others,knowing even my mistakes can bring You glory,​to arise and go when You call,being faithful to the interruptions,​no matter where You send me.

I enjoyed this entry. I had never really considered the events before the fish because I have always heard the teaching of the during and after the fish. Great life lessons. Thanks for your insight. I usually just read what's on the FB page and not click on the link. However. I am going to stop and completely read more often.

Reply

Lisa

6/21/2016 10:26:40 pm

All glory to God for His wisdom and insight.
So glad you clicked. Think most people just read the short part as well.